Quiz: Howstuffworks

A Bible Expert Should Be Able to Get Most of These Questions Right. Can You?

Kale Havervold

Image: Asiseeit / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Throughout history, there have been many texts and books, but none can hold a torch to the influence that the Bible has had. It has readers all over the world and is seen as the source of many of the teachings, beliefs and values of the Christian religion. The text is full of history and despite being written an incredibly long time ago, is still read and purchased in huge amounts and still reads the same as it did in ancient times.

As you could imagine, there is a lot to know in the Bible. Hundreds of stories are told, many people are met and lessons are taught that have had an impact on millions around the world for hundreds and even thousands of years. But how much do you know about the Bible? Do you know where Jesus himself grew up? How about how many books in total are included in the Bible?

Whether you are an expert looking to prove how well you know the Holy Scriptures, or simply someone trying to learn more about the word of God, this quiz is for you. Without any further ado, take a trip back to Sunday school and get ready to prove your knowledge of the Good Book and all that it includes.

Boonchai wedmakawand / Moment / Getty Images

According to the Guinness Book or World Records, approximately how many copies of the Bible have been sold?

34 million

5 billion

275 million

1 billion

According to Guinness, there have been approximately 5 billion Bibles sold around the world. This means that the Bible is the highest sold and most popular book of all time, by a fairly wide margin.

How many different languages has the full Bible been translated into as of 2019?

Around 5,000

Around 700

Around 50

Around 300

While getting an exact number can be difficult, the complete Bible has been translated into around 700 different languages. However, certain parts of the Bible have been translated into more.

Wiki Commons by Andreas Wahra

Jesus is a central figure throughout the Bible. Where was his childhood home?

Jerusalem

Hebron

Jericho

Nazareth

While he wasn't born there, Nazareth was where Jesus grew up and his childhood home. Nazareth is still inhabited to this day and is home to nearly 80,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in Northern Israel.

Ivan-96 / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

According to the Bible, how long did it take God to create the earth?

Two

Four

Six

Eight

According to the Genesis creation narrative from the Bible, it took God himself six days to create the heavens and the earth. On the Seventh Day, He rested and blessed the day.

Steve Debenport / E+ / Getty Images

How many main Gospels are there in the New Testament?

One

Two

Three

Four

The gospels are some of the most famous and popular lessons and stories in the Bible. In total, there are four gospels and they are written by Mark, Luke, Matthew and John. They all appear in the New Testament.

Wiki Commons by Jean-Baptiste Despax

Jesus had many followers, but only a limited amount of Apostles. How many original Apostles did he have?

24

12

8

2

Jesus had many different followers and disciples during his life, but none followed him more closely than the Twelve Apostles. They were some of the primary teachers of his messages and shared his teachings far and wide.

Wiki Commons by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov

What was the name of the first man created by God?

Steve

John

Adam

Luke

According to the Genesis story of creation in the Bible, Adam was the first human ever created. Interestingly enough, the word Adam is used throughout the Bible as a pronoun for human or mankind itself.

Aldomurillo / E+ / Getty Images

Of the thousands of languages parts of the Bible have been translated to, which was the first language it was written in?

Hebrew

Spanish

English

French

The very first language that the Bible was written in is Hebrew. Hebrew was the only language used for much of the early composition of the Old Testament, but the New Testament was believed to first primarily written in Greek.

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The Bible was written by dozens of writers, but how many books are in the Bible?

24

835

16

66

The complete Bible is comprised of 66 different books, written by dozens of different people. Of these 66, 39 of them are in the Old Testament and the remaining 27 are in the New Testament.

Wiki Commons by User:Vmenkov

What's the name of the individual who performed Jesus' baptism?

John the Baptist

Fred the Baptist

Kyle the Baptist

Jordan the Baptist

The man who was responsible for baptizing Jesus was named John the Baptist. In addition to being the man who baptized Jesus, John the Baptist also was an important and influential religious figure.

Who was given the Ten Commandments from God?

The person who was given the Ten Commandments by God is none other than Moses. According to Exodus, the place that Moses was given these Commandments was at the top of Mount Sinai.

Krisanapong detraphiphat / Moment / Getty Images

Of the many books of the Bible, which appears first?

Book of Genesis

Gospel of Matthew

Book of Samuel

Book of Exodus

The Bible is made up of a number of different books, but the first is the Book of Genesis. This book is all about the creation of the universe and the world, along with the believed origins of the Jewish people.

Wiki Commons by Heinrich Hofmann

Which of the Twelve Apostles betrayed Jesus by alerting Roman authorities of his identity?

Andrew

James

Peter

Judas

The Twelve Apostles were Jesus' closest followers and disciples, but one betrayed him. Judas betrayed Jesus by kissing him and addressing him a certain way that revealed his identity to both the surrounding crowd and authorities.

Jim Padgett / Read'n Grow Picture Bible Illustrations / Wiki Commons

According to the Bible, how was Eve (the first woman ever) created?

Created in the same way Adam was

She came from Adam's rib.

Rose from the waters

Came from the ground

According to writings in the Bible, Eve was created by God from one of Adam's ribs. She was created to be his companion and wife. The Catholic Church recognizes Eve as a saint and celebrates her.

Ivan-96 / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

Who were Cain and Abel in the bible?

The two men who first visited Jesus as a baby

Names for Jesus' two biggest critics

Two rival kings

First two sons of Adam and Eve

Cain and Abel were the very first sons of Adam and Eve, which means, according to the Bible, they were the first people born ever. Cain was a farmer and was the older of the two, and Abel was a shepherd.

TriggerPhoto / E+ / Getty Images

Which book is the very last of the New Testament?

Book of Revelation

Acts of the Apostles

Epistle to the Romans

Epistle to the Ephesians

The New Testament is made up of 27 different books, and in most versions of the Bible, the Book of Revelation is last. It is incredibly important to Christianity and is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament.

Wiki Commons by Godot13

While Jesus grew up in Nazareth, where was he born?

Tel Aviv

Bethlehem

Haifa

Gaza City

While it is a small town of only around 25,000 people or so, Bethlehem is one of the most important towns in Christianity. Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, and the city is visited by tourists from all over the world.

Duncan1890 / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

After being baptized, how long did Jesus fast for?

40 days

30 days

60 days

120 days

Once being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in the Judaean Desert fasting. The story is often called the Temptation of Christ, as Satan tried to tempt Jesus various times during the journey.

ZU-09 / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

How many people did Jesus feed with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish?

375

100,000

5,000

20

According to the "Feeding of the 5,000" story in the Bible, Jesus was able to feed 5,000 people with only two fish and five loaves of bread. There is also another story where he fed 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and fish.

SEAN GLADWELL / Moment / Getty Images

Who was responsible for the adjudication of Jesus, which eventually led to his crucifixion?

Marcellus

Lucius

Josephus

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate was a prefect serving in Judea, and is best known for being the judge for the case against Jesus, and overseeing the trial and the crucifixion of Jesus. He served from the year 26 or 27 to 36 or 37.

Wiki Commons by Nina-no

When Jesus was born, how many wise men traveled to give him gifts?

Two

Three

Four

Five

When the news of Jesus being born began to spread, three wise men from foreign lands came to visit the Baby Jesus. They each came bearing gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold, respectively.

Kemter / E+ / Getty Images

Noah's Ark is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. According to the Bible, how old did Noah live to be?

89

100

300

950

According to the Bible, the legendary Noah of Noah's Ark fame lived to be a whopping 950 years old. He was the last of a line of very long-living patriarchs and after his death, lifespans began to shorten.

ZU-09 / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

During his life, Jesus told many stories and taught many lessons. What is the name that is often given to many of these teachings?

Parable

Novel

Documentary

Seminar

While the term parable can be used in many different scenarios, it is often used to describe the messages and teachings of Jesus. A parable is essentially a verse or story that looks to show principles or lessons.

Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder / Museum Catharijneconvent / Wiki Commons

How many days was Lazarus deceased before Jesus brought him back to life?

Two

Four

Six

Eight

Lazarus is best known for being the subject of one of Jesus' many miracles. After Lazarus had passed away, Jesus was able to restore him to life four days later. In the modern day, the term Lazarus is often used to refer to restoration.

Krisanapong detraphiphat / Moment / Getty Images

What is the very last word that appears in the Bible?

End

God

Amen

Bible

The last word in the entire Bible is none other than Amen. Amen means "so be it," so it is a fitting last word of the Bible. In addition to being the last word of the Bible, Amen is often said at the end of prayers.

Jean-Philippe Tournut / Moment / Getty Images

Who was the King of Judea when Jesus was born?

Herod

Caesar

Julius

Louis

The King of Judea when Jesus was born was named Herod the Great. Herod was successful as a king, but still has gotten a lot of criticism. When he died, his kingdom was split among his three sons and his sister.

Wiki Commons by Badener

In the battle of David vs. Goliath, how did David win despite being the smaller and weaker combatant?

He used a ladder.

He used a slingshot.

He had the help of several friends.

He ran around until Goliath got tired and passed out.

The battle of David vs. Goliath was won when David used a rock in a slingshot to defeat the much larger Goliath. In the modern day, the term David vs. Goliath is often used to describe an underdog story.

Which of Jesus' Twelve Apostles went on to become the first-ever pope?

Peter

Judas

Andrew

Philip

In addition to being one of Jesus' Apostles, St. Peter would go on to become the first-ever pope (also known as the Bishop of Rome). St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is named after him, as well.

Stocktrek / DigitalVision / Getty Images

According to the Bible, what day did God create the sun?

7th day

1st day

2nd day

4th day

According to the Bible, the heavens and earth and all that embody them was created by God in just six days. It wasn't until the 4th day that God created the sun to shine light on the earth.

PaoloGaetano / E+ / Getty Images

Joseph, the man married to Jesus' mother, did what for a job?

Cashier

Salesman

Carpenter

Farmer

While Jesus was apparently born to the Virgin Mary, her husband, Joseph, would be the legal father of Jesus. Joseph worked as a carpenter and is known in many parts of Christianity as the patron saint of workers.

RapidEye / E+ / Getty Images

In the Bible, what nearly killed the prophet Jonah?

A sword

A giant fish

A thunderstorm

His father

Jonah is originally called upon by God to travel to Nineveh to warn the people who live there of retribution. Unfortunately, he is thrown overboard from a ship and swallowed by a giant fish. Three days later, he is regurgitated up and manages to survive.

FernandoAH / E+ / Getty Images

Who tells the Virgin Mary that she is pregnant with a son who would save people from the sins they have committed?

Gabriel

John

God himself

Joseph

Gabriel, a high-ranking angel, is who told the Virgin Mary that she was pregnant with the son of God. Gabriel was important throughout the Bible, and is referred to as a saint in many Christian traditions.

AlterYourReality / E+ / Getty Images

According to the Bible, who committed the first-ever murder?

Cain

Abel

Pontius Pilate

Judas

Not only was Cain the first person born according to the Bible, but he is also the first-ever murderer. He killed his brother, Abel. There is no official reason given for the slaying, but many believe Cain was jealous that God preferred Abel's sacrifice.

Fra Angelico / Museum of San Marco / Wiki Commons

Who is the individual who physically removed Jesus from the cross after his crucifixion?

Mary Magdalene

Joseph of Arimathea

Judas Iscariot

John the Baptist

According to all of the four gospels of the New Testament, Joseph of Arimathea is the person who not only took Jesus down from the cross, but also wanted to take responsibility for burying him.

Keith Lance / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images

Which river was Jesus baptized in?

The Egyptian River

River of Judea

Jordan River

Nile River

The place where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist is the Jordan River. It is located within many countries including Israel, Syria, Palestine and Jordan. Its length is just around 156 miles.

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